
Billy Bishop
The RAF Ace Re-Examined
Peter Kilduff(Author)
Grub Street Publishing
Published on 31. August 2014
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-909808-13-3 (ISBN)
Description
William Avery Bishop best known as Billy has been hailed as the British Empires highest-scoring World War I fighter ace. Officially credited with victory in seventy-two air battles, the Canadian-born pilot was honoured in a special ceremony by King George V, who presented Bishop with the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross at the same time. Bishop also became an early recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Making lone wolf attacks on German aircraft, the daring young flyer pursued targets over enemy lines without having to be responsible for less experienced men in a patrol. Bishops approach to aerial combat was extremely dangerous, however, making him more vulnerable to his adversaries. And, with sparse independent corroboration of his air fighting claims, Bishops tactic left him open to suspicions about the veracity of his combat reports. A key point of this book is Peter Kilduffs careful review of the aces existing combat reports and private correspondence, as well as accounts by friends and foes. Another side of Billy Bishop is revealed in many letters to his fiancee (later wife) relating death-defying experiences while sharing tender inner thoughts. Drawing on some five decades of extensive, even-handed and thorough research into World War I aviation history, Kilduff examines a wealth of German sources for this in-depth study of the aces aerial exploits. Drawing on all his experience, the author sheds new light on Bishops air missions and combats, which so far are steeped in controversy. Such methodology provides as complete an account as possible. Billy Bishop VC Lone Wolf Hunter also serves as a valuable reference work, containing over seventy illustrations relating to Bishop and his adversaries, many previously unpublished.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 249 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
816 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-909808-13-3 (9781909808133)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
07/2018
Grub Street Publishing
€18.18
Available for download
Person
Peter Kilduff has been studying and researching aviation history for over fifty years. He was a journalist and professional communicator for over forty years, and retired as Director of University Relations at his Alma Mater Central Connecticut State University.